DOI Heft:
No. 59 (January, 1902)
DOI Artikel:Whitehouse, J. Howard: Bournville: a study in housing reform
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22772#0219
A Study m Housing Reform
The size of the living-room is 17 ft. by 16 ft. merly an old and somewhat desolate-looking farm-
In addition to a window bay of 3 ft. 7 ins., house, but in its transformed state it is quaint
the room contains a charming ingle nook and a and picturesque in the extreme. It is, too, an
fireside recess for books. Where these houses, eloquent example of the old order giving place to
owing to the exigencies of the situation, have the new.
to face the north, additional windows are intro- The visitor to Bournville would find it hard to
duced on the side of the houses at an angle, realise, as he wandered about the village, that he
thus catching the south - west sun. In the was near to a great factory employing a number
scullery a bath is sunk in front of the range, approaching four thousand workpeople. The site
level with the floor, which, of course, is covered of the works is surrounded by higher ground, with
over when not in use. Upstairs three good the result that the beauty of the village is in no
bedrooms are provided in addition to a linen way marred by its proximity. On the other hand
closet. From the outside these houses present a the existing arrangement is a great object-lesson,
charming appearance. The woodwork is painted showing that the presence of a manufactory need
green, and the whitewashed bricks, the black not necessarily mean the deterioration of the
tarred plinth, the long, sloping, tiled roof, and the country around it—a result which in the past has
green woodwork form a most effective combination only too surely followed. At Bournville the roads
of colours. are wide, and in every case are planted on each
The larger houses contain three or four rooms side with forest trees or shrubs. This plan has
downstairs, with a similar number of bedrooms, greatly enhanced the beauty of the village, and,
and the addition generally of a bath-room. It added to the undulating nature of the land, which
is the architect’s aim to build all the houses as is dotted with coppices and bosky dells, and
compactly as possible. He has ignored the usual through which a pretty winding stream runs, gives
plan followed in smaller houses of build-
ing the rooms one behind the other in a
long line, a plan resulting in many of the
back rooms being cut off from the sun-
shine. The kitchens and outhouses are
not allowed to straggle away indefinitely
from the main building, and the living-
rooms are freely accessible to air and
sun. Wherever possible the larder faces
north and the kitchen north-east. Among
other points observed in the building
operations may be mentioned the fitting
in each room of a Tobin ventilator, the
free use of leaded panes, and the sub-
stitution of casement windows for the
modern sash arrangement. For the
most part, the houses are roofed with
hand-made tiles of varied colours.
On the estate-shops and on a number
of the cottages, Professor B. Creswick
of the Birmingham School of Art, and
an old pupil of Mr. Ruskin, has executed
some carved woodwork and wrought-iron
work with considerable effect. Of this
work we hope to speak in a later article,
and need only now remark that it shows
the hand of a master, and is marked by
much vigour and originality.
A typical specimen of Mr. Harvey’s
genius is seen in his treatment of the
village inn, here shown. This was for-
170
BOURNVILLE : A BYEWAY IN THE GIRLS’ RECREATION GROUNDS
The size of the living-room is 17 ft. by 16 ft. merly an old and somewhat desolate-looking farm-
In addition to a window bay of 3 ft. 7 ins., house, but in its transformed state it is quaint
the room contains a charming ingle nook and a and picturesque in the extreme. It is, too, an
fireside recess for books. Where these houses, eloquent example of the old order giving place to
owing to the exigencies of the situation, have the new.
to face the north, additional windows are intro- The visitor to Bournville would find it hard to
duced on the side of the houses at an angle, realise, as he wandered about the village, that he
thus catching the south - west sun. In the was near to a great factory employing a number
scullery a bath is sunk in front of the range, approaching four thousand workpeople. The site
level with the floor, which, of course, is covered of the works is surrounded by higher ground, with
over when not in use. Upstairs three good the result that the beauty of the village is in no
bedrooms are provided in addition to a linen way marred by its proximity. On the other hand
closet. From the outside these houses present a the existing arrangement is a great object-lesson,
charming appearance. The woodwork is painted showing that the presence of a manufactory need
green, and the whitewashed bricks, the black not necessarily mean the deterioration of the
tarred plinth, the long, sloping, tiled roof, and the country around it—a result which in the past has
green woodwork form a most effective combination only too surely followed. At Bournville the roads
of colours. are wide, and in every case are planted on each
The larger houses contain three or four rooms side with forest trees or shrubs. This plan has
downstairs, with a similar number of bedrooms, greatly enhanced the beauty of the village, and,
and the addition generally of a bath-room. It added to the undulating nature of the land, which
is the architect’s aim to build all the houses as is dotted with coppices and bosky dells, and
compactly as possible. He has ignored the usual through which a pretty winding stream runs, gives
plan followed in smaller houses of build-
ing the rooms one behind the other in a
long line, a plan resulting in many of the
back rooms being cut off from the sun-
shine. The kitchens and outhouses are
not allowed to straggle away indefinitely
from the main building, and the living-
rooms are freely accessible to air and
sun. Wherever possible the larder faces
north and the kitchen north-east. Among
other points observed in the building
operations may be mentioned the fitting
in each room of a Tobin ventilator, the
free use of leaded panes, and the sub-
stitution of casement windows for the
modern sash arrangement. For the
most part, the houses are roofed with
hand-made tiles of varied colours.
On the estate-shops and on a number
of the cottages, Professor B. Creswick
of the Birmingham School of Art, and
an old pupil of Mr. Ruskin, has executed
some carved woodwork and wrought-iron
work with considerable effect. Of this
work we hope to speak in a later article,
and need only now remark that it shows
the hand of a master, and is marked by
much vigour and originality.
A typical specimen of Mr. Harvey’s
genius is seen in his treatment of the
village inn, here shown. This was for-
170
BOURNVILLE : A BYEWAY IN THE GIRLS’ RECREATION GROUNDS